


I Told You Once (There's No Such Thing as Fate)

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, M/M, Separated at Birth, Strangers to Friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:30:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I made a friend, she said her dad forgot her lunch so I gave her half my sandwich. I learned that we have eight planets in our sole system,” she said, nodding thoughtfully and counting off each event on the tips of her fingers.</i>
</p>
<p>  <i>“I think you might mean solar system, sweetheart, but that sounds like a good first day!”</i></p>
<p>  <i>“It was okay,” She repeated, shrugging again.</i></p>
<p>  <i>“Tell your dad what you told me about your new friend,” Niall said, raising his eyebrows.</i></p>
<p>  <i>Ella nodded seriously, looking at Harry with wide eyes. “We’re twins,” She stated seriously, her mouth in a hard line.</i></p>
<p>   <i>Harry looks at Niall, whose mouth is twisted in a tight smile, cheeks puffing out. “Twins?” Harry asked.</i></p>
<p>  <i>Ella nods. “Yes. Twins.”</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Or, the one where Louis and Harry have a set of twins... Separately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Told You Once (There's No Such Thing as Fate)

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is my first 1d fic and i'm sorry if it sucks a lot.
> 
> this is for my bae [tyler](http://harrysgettinghead.tumblr.com) for her birthday, which was actually months ago. sorry this took me so long, i suck.
> 
> i have to thank my betas [rylan](http://a-louha.tumblr.com) and [theo](http://gotheleanor.tumblr.com) for being literally amazing for all the help they gave me. this would have been 50x worse and most likely the most cringe worthy thing you've ever read without them.  
>    
> [based off of this prompt](http://cockholmsyndrome.tumblr.com/post/93268838245/someone-write-about-twin-girls-that-were-separated)
> 
> title is from the song meant to fall by maeve kelly that you can listen to [here](http://maevekelly.bandcamp.com/album/if-the-waves-are-high)
> 
> i suck with tags so i'll probably update as i go tbh.
> 
> ENJOY!

“Daddy! Daaad! Daddy, you have to _wake up_! We’re going to be late!” There was a persistent voice coming from the left side of his bed, the sound disturbing the calm, peaceful slumber he was desperately trying to fall back into. With his head buried under the covers, his blankets creating a warm sense of security, he could feel his pillow sticking to his cheek from sleeping with his mouth open. He unwillingly poked one eye out and stared at his young, brunette daughter. Just barely tall enough to see above the mattress, it look a few seconds to realize she was staring at him with panic in her eyes

 

“Ten more minutes,” Louis mumbled, rolling over. He knew he had to get up, knew it was Zoe’s first day of school, but he thought maybe if he could convince her, he can just get a quick cuddle in and–

 

“Daddy, no! No more sleeping, _please_ ,” she whined. Louis heard her quiet footsteps make their way across the carpet and felt the mattress dip ever so slightly, adjusting to her tiny frame.

 

"Why are you up so early, little Z?" Louis smiled, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. Blinking the last bits of fog away, he noticed she was all ready for school, except for daddy-daughter breakfast time. Her bare feet stuck out of the blue jeans she wore, pants rolled at the ankles -– a style she picked up from her old man. Spiderman was proudly displayed across her chest, hoping to spark a lifelong best-friendship with help of her favorite superhero. Louis had been mildly offended and told her that he thought he was her best friend, to which she responded with, “You can’t be my best friend, you’re my _Daddy_.”

 

"What do you _mean_? It's the very first day of school, obviously," she huffed out with an eye roll, a habit she picked up from Zayn. He really needed to talk to him about child appropriate behavior.

 

He swung his legs over the edge of his bed and scooped her up into a fireman’s carry. "School? You're too old for school. Shouldn't you be out looking for a job?" he asked her, eyebrows raised. He purposely trotted down the hallway towards the kitchen, making Zoe's small frame bounce against his body with each step.

 

He smiled to himself when he felt tiny fists softly collide with his upper back. "Nooo, Daddy, 'm too small!"

 

"Small? What a liar! You're my big girl, got all dressed by yourself before coming to wake me up and everything," he said, placing her in a chair at the table. “What do you want to have for breakfast, love? I bought some more of those muffins you like from the shop down the street,” Louis said, picking up the box and waving it at her.

 

Eyes widening, she clapped excitedly, and asked, "With the crumblies in them?"

 

Louis scoffed. “Like I’d dare bring home anything else,” He said, handing her one on a paper plate.

 

In reality, they were just coffee cake muffins, but Louis was convinced that the baker was a culinary magician; he imagined he could get high off the food, just from how good it was.

 

Zoe pulled off the top of her muffin, fingers picking at the crumbles on top before taking a small bite. Louis laughed behind the back of his hand when her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed contentedly.

 

“Can ‘e go ‘ack af’er schoo’? I ‘eally ‘eed a white-rasp’y ‘ookie, p’ease,” she juts out her lower lip and bats her eyelashes at him.

 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear behind all the food in your mouth.”

 

She groaned, her eyebrows drawing together in a grimace as she swallowed. “A raspberry cookie from the store after school!” She singsongs.

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Louis said, clapping his hands together. “Alright, little Z, I’m gonna get dressed then we can walk to school, okay?” Zoe nodded, eyes staring into her muffin and barely acknowledging him.

 

Louis couldn’t think about dropping her off at school while he was getting dressed or he’d have a mental breakdown; he’s had Zoe with him since before she could walk.

 

There’d been such a long process before he could take her home with him. He had thought that maybe within a few months he’d be able to have a child living with him, but the process had taken almost two years and he wasn’t at all prepared for that.

 

He remembered the first home study he’d had.

 

The woman who had shuffled her way into his home was hunched over, cane wobbling as she walked up the concrete walkway. Her cheeks were sunken in and eye sockets filled with dark rings. When she shook his hand it felt cold, dry, and frail, the skin folding over where he’d touched her. Her eyebrows were drawn in, keeping a perpetual crease between them as she surveyed his home and threw invasive questions about his life at him. Beginning with “How do you afford a home like this without a proper job?” and ending with “How do you expect to raise a child with no second parent?”

 

For the record writing _is_ a proper job when you’re one of the best selling authors of your time, thank you very much.

 

Louis had rushed his answers, the frequency of them making him stumble over his words while she tsked and wrote in a ferocious script over her notepad. And, it wasn’t just a one time deal. She’d said, “I’ll see you again next week,” and Louis swears he’d almost had a stroke. The home study took almost two months to complete in itself. In the end, it was worth it as he was ruled a worthy parent. Then all he had to do was wait. And, wait. And. Wait.

 

It was almost a year before the agency finally found someone they thought was a good match. There was a girl in the hospital who had given birth, and had no interest in being in the child’s life.

 

Louis was nearly running by the time he made it to the hospital to meet her, Zayn fast on his heels. It had been three days and the agency had to be sure the mother had no intentions of wanting the child in the long run and while Louis was waiting it felt like those three days were longer than the two year’s he’d waited to find her.

 

She was a perfect baby. When he finally got a hold of her, soft yellow blanket tightly wrapped around her tiny body, his eyes had welled up.

 

_“Dude, are you fucking crying?” Zayn had poked at him while Louis shrugged him off._

_“Fuck off. Don’t swear around her,” Louis whispered back, a small smile playing on his face._

_When he’d finally let Zayn hold her, his eyes were just as damp and Louis had picked on him for days._

 

“Daddy, I’m ready!” Zoe shouted through his bedroom door as he pulled his jumper over his head.

 

He twisted the doorknob only to have the door forced open by Zoe.

 

“Daddy, you’re being _slow_ ,” Zoe breathed out, throwing her head back in exasperation.

 

He lifted her up into his arms, resting her on his hip. “Did you clean up, love?”

 

“Yes, and I even put on my shoes! Can we go now? Please, please, _please_.” Zoe asked, bouncing in his arms. Louis looked down to see she does have her red high-top Converse on, though the laces look like intricate knots instead of bow-ties, but he doesn’t say anything, internally proud that he didn't have to tie her shoes for once. Maybe she picked it up from Zayn? At least it would be one good habit.

 

“Daddy!” she whacked his arm, “It’s time to go! We’re gonna be late!”

 

“You should not be this happy to go to school,” Louis grumbled, grabbing her tiny Avengers backpack – the one Zayn had bought her – on his way to the door.

 

He put her down once they reached the front steps and she skipped to the edge of the sidewalk, bouncing on the heels of her feet, waiting for him to catch up. It went like that — her running up to the edge of the street corner, feet just brushing the edge of the road until he’s caught up, then taking his hand again and tugging him across the road, then bolting off to the next intersection and waiting along the edge of the sidewalk — all the way up to the school at the very end of the road.

 

Louis wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready to let his baby go to school with other kids who could make fun of her, teachers who could be mean and, dare he say it, her first crush. Louis was about ready to throw up in his mouth.

 

He held her hand as they walked in through the front doors of the school. He almost lost feeling in his fingers from how hard she was squeezing them. He could see the nervousness written on her face, her eyebrows scrunched and her tiny shoulders tensed under the straps of her backpack. He asked for the number of her classroom at the front desk as he watched Zoe stand on the tips of her toes, peeking her eyes over the edge of the counter to try to catch a glimpse of the older woman sitting behind a computer.

 

“You can bring her right down the hall to Room 103, Mr. Tomlinson,” she said, Louis and Zoe both cringing at the shrillness of her voice.

 

Louis walked down the hallway as Zoe whispered the numbers under her breath until they reached the right door.

 

Louis looked down at her and found she was already looking at him. “You ready?” she asked seriously.

 

He nodded. “Yeah, you?” she turned back to the door and nodded fiercely.

 

Louis opened the door and found that there were only five other kids in the classroom. They were all chatting and giggling to themselves at their desks and Louis found his stomach bubbling with nervousness.

 

A man was sitting at a desk at the head of the room, hunched over and writing quickly. The white board behind him had the name “Mr. Payne” scrawled in messy handwriting above him. He looked up when he heard the door open and smiled wide when he spotted them. His eyes crinkled up in the corners and Zoe pulled her hand from Louis’s grasp and pushed her hair away from her face. _First crush, here we come_ , Louis though.

 

“Were you looking for me, El? Sorry if she was bothering you, man,” the man said, walking over to them.

 

“Um,” Louis looked down at Zoe who was looking back at him with what he was sure were identical faces of confusion, “No? This is my daughter, Zoe. I’m Louis. I just came to drop her off. Are we in the right place?”

 

“Oh, I’m–,” Liam seemed to be taking a closer look at Zoe and it made Louis pull Zoe a little closer into his side. Liam shifted his eyes quickly back to Louis. “I’m sorry. She looks just like my niece and from the distance, I thought it was her. Sorry! You’re totally in the right place. I’m Liam.”

 

“Hey,” Louis said, raking his eyes over the man. His eyes could be described as none other than a bright gold, spots of chocolate mixed in, and short hair slightly quiffed in the front. His button up was done up all the way to the top with fitted khakis to match. Louis thought he looked alright, ignoring the awkward confrontation for the time being.

 

“So,” Liam started, reaching his hand up to rub at the back of his neck, “Welcome to Kindergarten,” he shrugged before squatting down to smile at Zoe. “You must be Zoe Tomlinson! You’re the last one to arrive today and your name tag’s all set up on your desk. Think you can find it?”

 

Zoe nodded, cheeks tinting pink. Louis had never seen her blush in his entire life.

 

She ran off to look at each desk, not even sparing Louis a glance back.

 

“First drop off?” Liam asked, sounding sympathetic.

 

“Yeah,” Louis said, dejectedly. “Always thought she’d be with me forever, you know? Now she’s off adventuring.”

 

Liam chuckled. “Adventuring to her desk? I’m sure she’ll do great. Our class is super interactive. Group activities and with lots of split up classes, each teacher gets about six students to a room so there’s one-on-one, too. You know, all the boring stuff you totally don’t want to hear. I just like reassuring parents. Everything’s a-okay!”

 

“Yeah, that’s good, I guess. I don’t know much about being a teacher so I trust you to like… teach. And stuff.”

 

Liam smiled and shook his head. “Yeah. And stuff.”

 

“Daddy, daddy, guess _what_!” Zoe shouted, running up to Louis.

 

“What, love?” he asked, picking her up and propping her on his hip.

 

“I have a Batman sticker on my desk. It looks so cool,” she said, smiling.

 

“It sounds awesome! You’ll have to show me, but I have to go now, okay?”

 

Her smile faltered, the corners of her mouth pulling down. “Okay… You’ll be back to pick me up, right? You won’t forget about me?”

 

Louis gasped. “Forget about you? What kind of daddy do you think I am? I would never, Z. Who would I cook for?” he smiled, digging a finger into her side.

 

She squirmed and let out, “You don’t cook, Daddy!” in between bursts of laughter.

 

“Excuse me, I cook an extraordinary mac and cheese!” his voice ringing out, continuing his tickling until she finally freed herself of his grasp and wiggled out of his arms.

 

“Okay, little Z, it’s time to go,” he said, voice hoarse and wobbly. She jumped back into his arms and he caught her easily, rubbing her back while she buried her face in his neck.

 

“Gonna miss you, Daddy,” she mumbled.

 

“I’m gonna miss you, too, little Z. I’ll be back in just a few hours to pick you up, yeah?”

 

She nodded into his shoulder. He watched Liam slowly back away from them and Louis nodded gratefully in his direction. He placed Zoe back on the floor, waving as he backed out of the door. She watched him until he disappeared from the window of the classroom door.

 

Louis could feel his tear ducts burning from attempting to hold back his tears. It was effective thus far, but as soon as he stepped foot out of the double doors he felt the tears spill over. His vision blurred as he tried to drag in deep breaths of air. His hands were shaking as he tried to pull his phone from the tight back pocket of his jeans.

 

The phone rang twice before Zayn answered. “Hey, Lou. You drop Z off?”

 

“Yeah,” Louis said, his voice cracking.

 

He heard a chair scrape across the floor through the phone. “Lou, calm down, okay? You know Z‘ll be fine. She’s a strong girl. We raised her right, yeah? She knows what she’s doing.”

 

“She’s _five_ , Zayn. No five year old knows what they’re doing,” Louis yelled.

 

“You know what I mean, idiot. She’s smart as fuck and you know it. She’ll have her teacher wrapped around her finger in no time.”

 

Louis let out a wet chuckle. “I think it’s the other way around.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Should've seen her. Right fixed herself up when she got a look at him. She was blushing and everything. When has Zoe ever blushed! My baby’s got her first crush,” he whined.

 

“Oh, come off it, Lou,” Zayn sighed.

 

“I know you just rolled your eyes at me. Stop doing that in front of Zoe, by the way. She’s picking up on it, just like she picks up all her bad habits from you,” Louis said, finally making his way down the street to his house.

 

“Fuck you, she does not,” Zayn said.

 

“Oh, yeah? What about the time she colored all over the living room walls because you let her do it in your paint room?”

 

“She’s creative! That’s not a bad habit!”

 

“When she started calling everyone an idiot because you say it to me all the time?”

 

“I’m not wrong,” Zayn said, exasperated.

 

“When she fell asleep in the _bathtub_ because you make her nap with you and fucked up her sleeping schedule?”

 

“I’m hanging up.”

 

“Because you know I’m right!”

 

“Goodbye, Louis.”

 

☽★☾

 

Harry was already awake when he heard Ella’s alarm start to go off. He smiled to himself when it shut off only a moment later. He shuffled around the kitchen, fingers battered from the banana pancakes he’d whipped up for Ella’s first day of school.

 

He was just putting the plate down on the table when she dragged her feet into the room. She still had her pajamas on, tiny rabbit’s scattered across her sleep pants and hair pulled back into a long braid.

 

“Morning, Elli Bean,” Harry said, picking her up and sitting her on his hip. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a deep breath.

 

“Daddy, why’d you set my alarm so _early_? I’m too tired,” She said, dragging out the last syllable and rubbing a fist into her eye.

 

“Don’t you remember, sweetheart? It’s your first day of school,” Harry replied. He felt her tense up in his arms, her body going rigid.

 

He set her down on the chair in front of her plate of pancakes, pushing the stray pieces of hair out of her face that were taken out of her braid while she was sleeping. “It’ll be fun, I promise. You’re going to make all types of new friends at school and you’ll see Uncle Liam at recess, yeah?”

 

Ella shrugged, picking up her fork with shaky hands and poked at her pancakes with it. “What if the other kids don’t like me?” She said.

 

“Oh, baby,” Harry breathed, sitting next to her. “What’s not to like? You’re the most lovely girl in the whole wide world.”

 

She shrugged again, taking a bite of her food. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling. “Banana and chocolate chip?” She asks, school momentarily forgotten.

 

“Of course! Anything for my Elli Bean,” Harry smiled and kissed her forehead before getting up.

 

Harry clapped his hands together. “Alright, Uncle Liam will be here soon to pick you up so you need finish up and get ready, okay?”

 

Ella nodded vigorously and shoveled another forkful of her pancakes into her mouth that could rival Niall’s own eating habits.

 

Harry made his way to her room, looking at the pictures of her on the hallway wall. Multiple pictures of her and Harry, one of her with Liam and Niall, a few with his mom and sister, another of her first bath, and her first bike ride. Amazing memories he’d had with Ella and the most important people in their life.

 

He didn’t remember a time before Ella. She’s the most precious thing to him and everything he did was for her. His job at the bakery is taxing as his hours were long and he didn’t spend as much time with her as he’d like, but now that she’s at school he’d hired a few more people and switched some shifts around with Niall so that he could be with her before and after school.

 

He could hear her plate clatter into the sink as he entered her room and laid out clothes on her bed. The soft patter of her feet echoed off the walls of the hallway and he smiled when he heard her tiptoe in behind him.

 

“Boo!” She yelled, behind him.

 

He whipped around, feigning being frightened. “Elli Bean! You scared me half to _death_.”

 

Her eyes crinkled at the edges, her head thrown back in a laugh. “Sorry, daddy! Didn’t mean it!”

 

He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. “Of course you did, you little monster!”

 

She laughed loudly, her breath catching as she shouted. “Put me down! You’re gonna drop me!”

 

Harry gasped. “I would never. You need a bath though, you’ve got smelly feet.”

 

“I do not,” Ella huffed.

 

“Do to,” Harry retorted, placing her on the tiled floor of the bathroom.

 

Ella stuck her tongue out at him. Harry poked her stomach with little force and turned to turn the water for her tub on.

 

“Daddy, when’s Uncle Liam gonna be here?” she asked softly.

 

“Really soon, baby. We’re gonna do a quick bath today, okay?”

 

She nodded. “Okay.”

 

It didn’t take long at all before she’s undressed and in her bubbleless bath. Harry could hear the doorknob of the front door jiggle before opening and knew that it was Liam.

 

“Hello?” He heard Liam call out.

 

Ella’s head shot up. “In here, Uncle Liam!” She yelled.

 

His shoes made heavy footsteps across the floor. When he appeared in the doorway Ella waved wildly.

 

“Hey, princess. How’re you doing today?” Liam asked.

 

“I’m good, thank you,” Harry replied, voice honeyed.

 

“He was talking to _me_ , Daddy. ‘M good too! Daddy made banana chocolate chip pancakes for me this morning!” Ella said, smiling.

 

“Oh, wow. Really spoiled you, did he?”

 

Ella nodded seriously.

 

“Okay, Elli Bean, all finished,” Harry said, grabbing the fluffy blue towel off of the door.

 

Harry wrapped the towel around her after he let the tub drain out and carried her to her bedroom. Her dripping hair led a path all the way from the bathroom. Harry’s bare feet were cold on the hardwood floors and warmed as soon as they touched the purple carpet of her room. Harry placed her on the bed next to her clothes and turned to find Liam directly behind them.

 

“El, get dressed and then come out in the living room so I can braid your hair, okay?” Harry said.

 

“Okay, daddy,” she replied.

 

Liam followed Harry out to the living room, both of them sitting on the couch.

 

“How you holding up?” Liam asked, a sad tilt to his mouth.

 

Harry shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Obviously I don’t want her to go, but I’ve gotta do it sometime, yeah?”

 

Liam nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

 

“She’s worried that the other kids won’t like her, Li,” Harry whispered.

 

Liam looked at him, eyes wide. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t they like her?”

 

“I don’t know, she didn’t really say. I think she’s nervous she won’t find any friends. I’ve sheltered her too much and now it’s come back to bite me in the ass,” Harry said, placing his head in his hands.

 

“Harry, stop it. You’re beating yourself up for no reason. You’ve raised her perfectly, and me and Niall ‘ve helped along the way. She’s a smart girl, you know that.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I know. I just worry,” Harry sighed.

 

“I know you do. I’ll be there though and Niall’s picking her up to bring her to the bakery after. She’ll tell you all about how great her day was and you’ll see you were all worked up for nothing.” Liam said, smiling.

 

Harry smiled back the best he could and nodded. He smiled wider when he spotted Ella walking towards them.

 

“Uncle Liam, look at the dress daddy bought me!” Ella exclaimed.

 

“Wow, you look like a real princess now!” Liam said, matching her enthusiasm.

 

Ella nodded, throwing herself into Liam’s arms where he catches her easily. “There’s my hug,” He murmured. “Ready to go to school?” He pulled back to look at her as she nods again, determined.

 

“Alright, c’mere so daddy can braid your hair,” Harry said, a smile plastered on his face.

 

She climbed into his lap. Harry’s fingers moving quickly to work her hair into a long french braid that ended half way down her back. “Okay, sweetheart, it’s time to go. Give your old man a hug,” Harry said when he’s finished.

 

“You’re not old, daddy,” she said as she turned to hug him.

 

Harry chuckles. “Thanks, Elli Bean. Uncle Ni will pick you up after school and bring you to the shop, okay?”

 

Ella nodded and reached to grab Liam’s hand where he pulled her off the couch. “Alright, I’ll talk to you later, Haz,” Liam said.

 

Harry just nodded watching them walk towards the door, Ella looking back at him. “I love you, Elli Bean. See you soon.”

 

She waves, mouth turned down. “Bye, daddy. Love you.”

 

And, then they’re gone.

 

☽★☾

 

Louis bounced on the balls of his feet, waiting for Zoe outside of the school.

 

He’d spent all day trying to write out the plot for his new novel to send to his agent and he’d barely been able to get out a sentence. His hands had been sweating while he was writing, making his pencil marks smudge all over the page. He’d started over at least fifteen times.

 

When he finally heard the school bell ring he jumped even though he’d been expecting it. He glared at the door, waiting for Zoe to come out.

 

He spotted Liam first. He was leading all six of his students out of the double doors. Zoe was walking backwards out the door behind him, her hands moving quickly in front of her, having an animated conversation with another student he recognized from her class. She turned around, still not seeing him, and patted Liam’s leg to get his attention. Whatever she was saying, he was listening intently before nodding and answering seriously. She turned around and smiled triumphantly while they boy she was talking to pouted.

 

She looked up then, eyes scanning outside the building before she spotted Louis. She smiled wide, waving excitedly. She pointed Louis out to Liam and Liam nodded before also waving at Louis, though less enthusiastically than Zoe had.

 

Louis squatted to catch Zoe in his arms as she bolted forward, almost knocking him over.

 

“Hi, little Z! How was your first day?” Louis asked.

 

“Oh my god, daddy, it was amazing! Mr. Payne is so cool and he likes superheroes, just like us,” She said, smile stretching across her whole face.

 

“That sounds awesome! Did you find a best friend?” Louis inquired, genuinely interested if she’d found someone else to replace him so soon.

 

“Oh, that’s the best part! I found a best friend and they look just like me. It’s kinda weird, but so awesome. Twins, daddy. Twins!” She yelled, shrilly.

 

“Oh, wow. I’ll have to meet them soon!” Louis nodded, taking her hand to walk back to the house.

 

“Yeah, yeah, she only has a daddy, too, and I told her to ask if she could come over this weekend and she said ‘maybe’, so _maybe_!” Zoe nodded, skipping next to Louis.

 

“Sounds super, Z. Can’t wait!” Louis smiled down at her.

 

☽★☾

 

Niall walked in with Ella glued to his side at exactly 1:35. Harry had just got done with the lunch rush and his knees were shaking with the weight of exhaustion.

 

“Daddy!” Ella said, pushing the short door open to walk behind the counter. Harry bent to pick her up and balanced her on his hip while Niall walked up to the counter with a fond smile on his face.

 

“Hey, Elli Bean! I missed you,” Harry said, peppering kissed all over her face. “How was your first day at school?”

 

“It was okay,” Ella shrugged, tugging Harry’s hair where it touched his shoulders with one hand and poking at his closed dimple with the other.

 

“Just okay? C’mon now, give me all the details! Did you make lots of friends? Did you learn anything new? Did you like the lunch I packed for you?” Harry questioned, give Niall an exasperated eye roll. Getting information from her daughter was just as hard as pulling teeth and they all knew it.

 

“Yeah, I made a friend, her name’s Zoe. She said her dad forgot her lunch so I gave her half my sandwich. My teacher’s name is Mrs.Remilard. I learned that we have eight planets in our sole system,” she said, nodding thoughtfully and counting off each event on the tips of her fingers.

 

“I think you might mean solar system, sweetheart, but that sounds like a wonderful first day!”

 

“It was okay,” She repeated, shrugging again.

 

“Tell your dad what you told me about your new friend,” Niall said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

 

Ella nodded seriously, looking at Harry with wide eyes. “We’re twins,” She stated seriously, her mouth in a hard line.

 

Harry looked at Niall, whose mouth is twisted in a tight smile, cheeks puffing out. “Twins?” Harry asked.

 

Ella nodded. “Yes. Twins.”

 

“Did Uncle Ni see this twin?”

 

“No, but she’s in Uncle Liam’s class,” She said, looking distracted and wiggling her body out of Harry’s arms. “Daddy, can I have one of your cookies?”

 

Harry sighed. “Yeah, of course, sweetheart. Surprised I got that much out of you before you asked that, to be honest.”

 

This was going to be one hell of a school year.

 

**Author's Note:**

> aaaye, i hoped you liked this and didn't think it was complete shit. i actually put like time and effort into this so any feedback would be cool. questions/comments/concerns.
> 
> you can find me on tumblr [here](http://zaynmalikhtml.tumblr.com), noice.


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